<font color=red><small>Last modified on Apr 12, 2006 by James Stewart who considers it in the public domain</small></font>

<font color=red><small>Last modified on Apr 12, 2006 by James Stewart who considers it in the public domain</small></font>

<b>Disassembling the Buffalo LinkStation</b>

<b>Disassembling the Buffalo LinkStation</b>

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Like many consumer electronic devices, the Buffalo Linkstation is deliberately tricky to disassemble. Here is how I took mine apart:

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== Step 1) ==

== Step 1) ==

[[Image:Disassemble-1.jpg|thumb|100px|right]]

[[Image:Disassemble-1.jpg|thumb|100px|right]]

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Like many consumer electronic devices, the Buffalo Linkstation is deliberately tricky to disassemble. Here is how I took mine apart:

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First, notice that there are these little locking tabs beside the trim piece on the top and bottom of the unit. By pushing in the tabs a slight amount, you can then pull the trim piece towards the front of the unit...

First, notice that there are these little locking tabs beside the trim piece on the top and bottom of the unit. By pushing in the tabs a slight amount, you can then pull the trim piece towards the front of the unit...

Revision as of 02:31, 22 July 2006

This article is originally by frontalot from Linkstationwiki.org.

Contents

Original Instructions

== Step 1) == Use a flat head screwdriver to press in the circled tab and slide the gray piece forward. Do this for the top and bottom of the LinkStation. You will have to apply some force due to the two hidden screws (shown in the next picture).

== Step 2) == The hidden screws should detach from the main unit while remaining attached to the shiny facade. Don't remove the screws from the facade as it will likely blemish the finish.

Last modified on Apr 12, 2006 by James Stewart who considers it in the public domainDisassembling the Buffalo LinkStation

Step 1)

Like many consumer electronic devices, the Buffalo Linkstation is deliberately tricky to disassemble. Here is how I took mine apart:

First, notice that there are these little locking tabs beside the trim piece on the top and bottom of the unit. By pushing in the tabs a slight amount, you can then pull the trim piece towards the front of the unit...

Step 2)

... But there are two screws hidden behind the mirror-finish label on the front of the trim piece. The normal solution for this is to peel the mirror-finish label off and remove the screws, but I didn't know any better at the time so I had a more barbaric solution: I simply pried the whole trim piece off, stripping out the screws as I went! It turned out the screws were not very strong and pulled out moderately easy. Now I have a trim piece that still looks nice, yet pops on and off the Linkstation by simply working the top and bottom tabs and pulling it towards the front of the unit.

UPDATE: So I guess most people peel the front sticky label off the front, remove the screws properly, then stick the label back on. Perhaps you should too.

Step 3)

Next there is a much bigger screw hidden behind the model#/certification sticker on the back of the unit. If your Linkstation is still in warrenty you might want to peel the label back very slowly so you don't tear it and can put it back. Once peeled back, I removed the screw.

Step 4)

Finally, with the trim piece removed, there are more tabs along the top and bottom of the Linkstation, that once pressed, the case can be separated by pulling apart the sides of the case from the back.

Step 5)

Once inside, things are much more straightforward: Take out 4 screws to remove the processor circuit board. If you don't want to remove the hard drive cables yet, you can simply hinge it back to expose the hard drive and power supply.

Note that the power button will tend to fall off, as well as the clear plastic piece that directs the LED lights to the outside of the case. So check them out now so you'll know how they go back on.

Step 6)

To remove the hard drive, you must remove the power supply, which is only held by two screws. Then the hard drive mounting frame hinges out of the case.

Oh, and be careful not to let the bottom of the circuit board drag accross the metal frame that is attached to the hard drive. That big 160-volt capacitor tends to hold a charge even after the power cord is pulled. I once blew out my power supply this way and to took me awhile to find the damaged component.

Step 7)

Finally there is a single screw holding the drive to its mounting frame.

You can now take the hard drive an put it into a PC for modification or replacement with a bigger drive, which is more than likely why you wanted to take the Linkstation apart for in the first place. Note however that the drive jumper is in "cable select" mode, which may or may not work well with your PC's cable configuration.